At 08:29 AM 12/31/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>One answer could be:
>"AMSAT should be a participant within a partnership of nations and relief
>agencies (CARE, Red Cross, etc.) that will coordinate future responses to
>global disasters" It is very likely that such a coordination group may
>created or added as a new task to an existing global agency in the coming
>weeks and months from a number of countries and groups: United States,
>Canada, EU, UN, etc.
>
>w9gb
I have been thinking how to articulate exactly these thoughts and you have
done an excellent job. ARES/RACES type training has value for satellite
operators, and many of us have taken EmComm type training including Level
3. However at this point I think AMSAT lacks some of the essentials
required to step into an EmComm mission and do an effective job on a global
scale. These include:
a) an emergency management structure in the northern hemisphere
and international regions
b) an agreement with international refugee/aid organizations who
will become served agencies
c) a clear mission including activation/deactivation plans and
procedures (this may include operators travelling to affected areas)
d) help with funding and grantsmanship to underwrite construction
and launch of satellites that support these missions
e) potential funding to underwrite the acquisition and
pre-positioning of deployable groundstations and support equipment
f) a trained group of operations and management volunteers
Without these, we will likely have difficulty supporting these missions on
a worldwide basis except in very limited situations. Many experienced
EmComm managers would probably tell you that without e) don't even bother
trying. So while I totally agree that AMSAT should do more, the important
question is "Should AMSAT-NA duplicate the EmComm efforts of the ARRL and
RAC, compliment them, or simply be a small adjunctive service asset?"
I personally don't know the answer to that question, but think the first
step to answering it is for AMSAT (NA) to create an EmComm investigation
committee. This committee should be tasked to evaluate possible missions,
partners, funding, and technology. It should then make recommendations to
the BoD on how AMSAT might best do more to support natural disasters and
other refugee situations in the future.
It's good to do more, it's better to do more wisely.
73,
Emily
---------------------------------
W0EEC - CM87tm
AMSAT Area Coordinator - San Francisco Bay Area
http://www.projectoscar.nethttp://www.PlanetEmily.com
Join AMSAT! http://www.amsat.org
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